Wrist-lighter



April 23, 1968 H. HOULE 3,379,491

WRIST-LIGHTER Filed Feb. 11, 1966 INVENTOR rv HGULE AGENT United States Patent 3,379,491 WRIST-LIGHTER Herv Houle, 55 Belanger St., Ste. Rose Station, Laval, Quebec, Canada Filed Feb. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 526,860 Clm'ms priority, application Canada, Mar. 4, 1965,

2 Claims. (Cl. 431-343) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention concerns a wrist-lighter in which the lighter body is pivotally connected to a pair of double wall wrist straps containing, together with the lighter body, fuel-absorbing material and wick means extending from the absorbing material in the lighter body into the absorbing material in the wrist straps, whereby the wrist straps form an additional supply of fuel for the lighter.

The present invention relates to a lighter for cigarettes, cigars, pipes and the like.

Conventional portable lighters are generally stored in ones pocket, bag, or the like, and can be easily lost and, moreover, the user often does not recall where the lighter is stored.

The general object of the present invention resides in the provision of a lighter provided with a wrist strap attached to ones wrist and in a position wherein it is easily accessible and within easy reach of the other hand of the user for operating the same to light up a cigarette or the like.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a lighter of the character described, in which the body of the lighter is attached to straps serving as a bracelet to secure the lighter to ones wrist and said straps form a lighter fuel reservoir.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a lighter of the character described, combined with a watch.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will become clearer during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the wrist-lighter in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a wrist-lighter combined with a watch;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial longitudinal section of the lighter and of one of the wrist straps; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indiciate like elements throughout, FIGURE 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention which comprises a cigarette lighter, generally indicate-d at 1, and comprising a body 2 carrying a fingeroperated lever 3 which actuates a snufling cap 4 and a sparking wheel (not shown), which is rotatable against a flint to ignite a wick (not shown).

The operating mechanism 3, 4 is of conventional construction. Body 2 has a generally rectangular shape and can be as flat as desired.

The lighter 1 is characterized by the fact that it is provided with yoke-shaped coupling members 6 secured at the two opposite ends of the body 2. The coupling members 6 are surrounded by the loops 7 and 7 of wrist straps 8 and 8 respectively, which form a bracelet adapted to surround the users wrist.

The strap 8 forms a loop 9 at its outer end, which retains a clasp 10, of conventional construction, provided with a prong 11. The clasp 10 is adapted to receive the 3,379,491 Patented Apr. 23, 1968 "ice free end portion 12 of the strap 8', said free end portion being provided with a series of longitudinally spaced holes 13 adapted to receive prong 11 of clasp 10.

The straps 8 and 8 are made of a material which is liquid and gas-proof, for example synthetic resin, and are made of double thickness to each form a reservoir 14 which terminates at one end short of the loop 9 and of the terminal portion 12 of bands 8 and 8' respectively, and the other end of which extends past loops 7 and 7', as shown in FIGURE 4, to form a portion 15 provided with a hole through which is inserted a nipple 16 rigidly secured to and in communication with the inside of hollow body 2 of the lighter 1, said nipple 16 having at its outer end an externally protruding flange 17 overlapping the inside surface of strap portion 15 within reservoir 14.

Reservoirs 14 on each side of the lighter 1 are provided with a wick 5 which extends from reservoir 14 to the fuel reservoir within body 2 of the lighter by passing through nipple 16.

The body 2 of the lighter forms also a reservoir filled with absorbing material for fuel, as shown at 18, such as absorbent cotton, and also reservoirs 14 in the two straps are filled with said material 18.

Reservoirs 14 are provided with filling openings normally closed by a cap- 19. Body 2 of the lighter can also be provided with a fuel filling opening at the face of said body opposite to snufling cap 4.

The lighter 1 is secured to the users wrist by straps 8 and 8 to form a bracelet surrounding the wrist, as for a wrist-watch, with the operating lever 3 directed towards the users hand, the band of the lever 3 opposite snufling cap 4 being directed towards the users other hand to be within easy reach for actuating the lever 3 and lighting the lighter.

As the conventional wrist-watch is normally carried on the left hand,'the lighter in accordance with the invention will normally be carried on the right hand.

Straps 8 and 8' serve as supplementary fuel reservoir, which, in association with the conventional reservoir of body 2 of the lighter, will contain a relatively large amount of fuel whereby longer intervals will elapse between successive re-fuelling. As the lighter is carried by the wrist, it is always accessible for immediate use and, moreover, there is much less chance of losing such a lighter than conventional pocket lighters.

The present invention can be embodied as a wristlighter combined with a watch, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 5. Thevbody 20 of the watch 21 is provided at one end with ears 22 for detachably connecting one end of an extensible bracelet 23 by means of a spring-loaded stem 24, of conventional construction, whereas the other end of body 20 of the watch is provided with a hinge 25 pivotally interconnecting body 20 of the watch 21 with body 26 of lighter 27.

Lighter body 26 has a generally rectangular or square shape and is flattened as body 20 of the watch 21 and is moreover provided at its opposite free end with ears 28 for removably attaching the other end of the flexible extension bracelet 23 by means of a spring-loaded stem 24.

The combined wrist-lighter and watch is worn as a wrist-watch on top of the users wrist, with the bracelet 23 surrounding said wrist. The exposed face of body 26 of the lighter 27 is provided with an elongated opening 29 having an obturator 30 which opens up under the action of a stud 31, which moves in a curved slot 32 made in the top face of body 26, whereby opening of the obturator 30 will expose a wick which will be ignited under the action of a flint operated upon by a sparking wheel rotating under the action of stud 31.

Body 26 of the lighter may contain a reserve of butane gas or liquid lighter fuel in accordance with the type of the lighter used.

Other constructions in accordance with the principle of the invention can be made.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to Without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A Wrist-lighter comprising a lighter body, of generally fiat shape, and adapted to be placed on top of a users wrist, coupling members secured to the opposite ends of said lighter body and wrist straps each having at one end a loop pivotally surrounding said coupling member, nipples secured to said ends of said lighter body and in communication with the inside of said lighter body, each wrist strap being constituted by a double wall elongated flexible band made of liquid and gas-proof material, said nipples having an open end extending and opening into the interior of the respective wrist straps, said wrist straps forming a reservoir for lighter fuel as well as said lighter body, fuel-absorbing material within said lighter body and said wrist straps, wick means passing through said nipples and extending within said fuelabsorbing material in said wrist straps and within the fuehabsorbing material in said lighter body.

2. A wrist-lighter as claimed in claim 1, each wrist strap having a portion extending beyond said loop, said open end of the associated nipple terminating short of said loop and of the associated coupling member and a flange secured to and surrounding said open end of said nipple and located inside said strap portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,242,394- 5/ 1941 Harriss 67-4.l 2,789,424 4/ 1957 Lorio 674.1 2,998,718 9/1961 Sanchez 674.l 3,178,912 4/1965 Christensen 674.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 151,333 11/1937 Austria.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner. 

